


Romance 101

by fhsa_archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-02
Updated: 2004-09-02
Packaged: 2019-02-05 15:37:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12797436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhsa_archivist/pseuds/fhsa_archivist
Summary: none





	Romance 101

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

Blair had long since acknowledged that there was not a romantic cell, sinew or neuron in Jim Ellison's body - Jim Ellison's gorgeous, sexy, hard body - Blair gave himself a mental shake and resumed the task of packing lunch. But, on the balance sheet of their relationship, the love and loyalty and friendship, and of course the body, more than made up for any deficit of romance. Still, he missed it. Not the intricate, voodoo rituals that he'd endured with some of his girlfriends, but the occasional, spontaneous flight of fancy. Well, that just wasn't going to happen with Jim 'what you see is what you get' Ellison. That's not to say the man was a shirk in the loving department, oh no, he was skilled, adventurous, thorough - and direct. With Jim 'what I say is what I mean, so kindly return the favour' Ellison there was no coded language or ambiguity and that way any investment you chose to make invariably paid out dividends, big time, every time. All in all, when you factored in the mutual interests and affection you had two very satisfied shareholders. 

 

As for the romance, Blair considered it his sacred, Guidely duty to ensure they got a minimal dosage, like their vitamin supplements. So here he was, Saturday lunchtime, packing a picnic and when it was ready and the big lug had finished sterilizing the bathroom they'd drive to Cascade Park for a little 'quality time' and a gourmet lunch. The month before it had been a candlelight dinner and some slow dancing at the loft. The month before that was - oh yeah, the afternoon at the Hyatt, with the hot tub. 

 

"Blair ..." Sound of shower getting its final rinse. 

 

"Yeah?" 

 

"I'm done here." 

 

"Good, cuz we're packed and ready to go!' Blair's hands zoomed in the direction of the door 

 

Jim exited the bathroom and headed straight for the balcony. 

 

"Watcha doin' man?" 

 

"Just checkin' the weather .... " 

 

"Ah don't tell me it's gonna rain." 

 

Jim did his 'Hidden Mysteries of The Sentinel' thing and pronounced "No rain." 

Then he gave Blair's picnic preparations the ex-Ranger once over. 

 

"Rug?" 

 

"Yep." 

 

"Sunscreen?" 

 

"Yep." 

 

"Natural insect repellent?" 

 

"Yep." 

 

"Forceps?" 

 

".... enough ..." he handed Jim an unequal share of the burden " ...go!" 

 

"Give me one minute ... something I forgot ...... " he gently dropped the burden to the table and took the stairs two at a time. True to his word one minute later he had returned putting on his watch and shooing Blair 'okay, so I'm nosey' Sandburg out the door. 

 

The beautiful day meant the park was full of families and dogs and couples. And of course those who Blair thought of as 'phantom couples'. He and Jim fell into this group. To qualify for membership you had to be prepared to tough it out, look the world in the eye, and say 'hey, I'm spending my Saturday afternoon having a picnic with my best buddy. Wanna to make something of it?' Because you couldn't miss the looks, the significant glances, the outright stares. Just as Blair couldn't avoid watching them back and seeing the freely given kisses and caresses, the handholding .... So they did what they always did and turned their world in on each other and it was pretty damned good. Crystal blue sky, warm sun on their skin, the brush of thigh and arm as they reached for the delicacies Blair had provided. Then lying back together, with a mild buzz from the heady red wine, enjoying a lover's scent mingled with the perfume of freshly mown grass. Pretty damned, fucking good .... 

 

Blair was on the verge of tipping over into sleep when he was disturbed by the annoying hum of a small single-engine plane. He cracked open his eyes then had to put on his glasses to track down the offending machine. Just as he spotted it, it gave a putter and left a plume of white smoke in its wake, marring the perfect sky. Every pair of eyes in the park were now trained on the wispy trail as letters began to form. An 'M' followed by an 'A', then an 'R', then another ......... it didn't take a rocket scientist to work out what was going on and by the time the 'Y' had appeared Blair was kneeling up and scanning the park to see if he could locate the couple it was intended for. As he watched the 'ME' appear Blair called back to Jim, 'Can you pick them out yet?' 

 

A gap had formed in the message then the smoke reappeared. 'B' The tension in the park was palpable. 'L' 

 

A quiet cough from behind him pulled Blair's attention from the spectacle to his partner. Jim, propped up on one arm and smiling his 'for Blair's eyes only' smile, held out a burgundy velvet jeweller's box towards the young man, in which rested a simple, broad gold band. 

 

He became motionless as his brain tried to process the information then he turned his eyes skyward to seek verification, after all sky-writing planes don't lie. Everyone knew that. And there it was 'MARRY ME BLAIR?'. There for the whole world to see, like it or not! 

 

He tumbled backward almost knocking the air out of his Sentinel. "Yes ..." and then his hands were in Jim's hair and they were kissing like it was going out of style. 

 

Applause.... 

 

Applause? 

 

From several couples around them. They looked at each other. Time to go; definitely time to go. Blair mouthed 'Thank you' to their neighbours and they hastily gathered up their belongings and started out for the truck. As he reached it Blair took one last look at the sky. The message was wavering but still clearly visible. And he had to admit that he had been wrong, one hundred percent dyed in the wool wrong about Jim and romance. And to prove it, on the drive home, the 'by the book' cop broke his own cardinal rule and turned on both siren and flashing lights! 

 

finis


End file.
